Chapter Ten The Attic

  In the sea of clouds, there is no day and night, every moment is blue sky and white clouds, a group of floating islands, a cluster of white clouds, like a fairyland.

  On the guqin, Li Tu was practicing the 365 finger techniques seriously, over and over again. After two hours of serious practice, his fingers were so tired that they could hardly move, feeling weak and sore in his arms, and especially exhausting mentally, making him extremely fatigued.

  The difficulty of these 365 finger techniques is very high, and it's hard to practice. It can't be learned in a short time. If you master all the 365 finger techniques, your qin skills will be greatly improved.

  Li Tu didn't know when his consciousness had retreated from the piano and he fell asleep in a daze on the bed.

  The third day was for the "She" trial of the Academy, which took place in the school field in the backyard.

  "Archery" represents martial arts, also represents the military power of the dynasty, and is a way to cultivate one's character and nurture a gentlemanly demeanor.

  The academic teaching emphasizes both literary and military skills, even scholars can wield swords and ride horses to fight on the battlefield.

  Li Tu walked into the school and immediately attracted the attention of many candidates. At this time, they looked at the young man with complex and unspeakable feelings in their hearts, and there was an inexplicable aftertaste that made them subtly open up a distance, as if unwilling to get close to him.

  Li Tu stood alone, his face calm, it had been many years and he was already used to being alone.

  At this time, a handsome young man with an air of elegance walked towards Li Tu, also attracting the attention of many people.

  "That guy often flies over to that blind man, what's he up to? I heard his calligraphy skills are incredibly deep, and he's already got one foot in the master level."

  Chang Fei walked up to Li Tu under the gaze of everyone, and said: "I am Chang Fei, nice to meet you, Brother Li. Yesterday I watched your magnificent performance on stage, and your song 'Zhu Li' brought tears to many eyes. Your piano skills are so extraordinary, it's truly admirable."

  "It's too kind of you to say so, and it can't be said that my piano skills are exceptional, I just have a little bit of attainment."

  Li Tu felt a bit puzzled, everyone was unwilling to come into contact with him, but this Chang Fei actually didn't know why he started communicating with him.

  "A 15-year-old sixth-grade zither player, it's hard to believe that even the renowned Gong Yang from the Imperial Academy might not have been able to match him at that age. Brother Li will surely make rapid progress in his zither skills after entering the Imperial Academy and may become a peerless national scholar in the future."

  Chang Fei couldn't help but sigh, for in the world of music, chess, calligraphy and painting, there were grades of excellence, and those who reached the highest grade were truly peerless.

  A national hero is the country's unparalleled one.

  The zither attracts a hundred birds to pay homage, the phoenix emerges; the chessboard summons cannons and wolves, soldiers rise up; the brushstrokes of calligraphy bring forth flowers, filling the room with fragrance; the painter's dragon is brought to life by the dotting of its eyes, the dragon ascends.

  The skill reaches a high level, and the spirit enters the realm of transformation, giving rise to extraordinary phenomena.

  In a corner of the painting gallery, Xiaoyi said to Taidou who was admiring the mural: "Jie Jie, shall we go and greet that blind man and get acquainted with each other?"

  "No." Dongtai Ji shook his head and continued to watch the mural.

  Xiao Wei was somewhat perplexed. Normally, Ji sister wasn't very fond of discussing guqin with good people, so why was she indifferent to the blind man today?

  The shooting trial began soon, and the three examiners were all middle-aged men with stern faces, calm eyes, and a strong aura of murder, as if they were seasoned soldiers who had just walked off the battlefield, giving people a sense of oppression and a strong atmosphere.

  The exam is testing Bai Yat, Sanlian, and 22 groups of examinees are taking it simultaneously.

  Li Tu is the son of one, and also the first round of examiners.

  On a pavilion of the academy, an old man in white robes and a young man in white clothes were standing, gazing at the examination on the campus.

  "A 15-year-old sixth-grade pianist, with a very good talent, rarely seen in a hundred years, but unfortunately, his eyesight is not good, which greatly limits his future growth."

  "He also entered a state of unity between man and instrument, a realm that is hard to come by, which was of great help in improving his musical skills later on."

  The young man in white clothes passed on the voice of the public sheep, and there seemed to be some dissatisfaction in the old man's tone.

  "Little sheep, are you really going to take in this student?" The old man suddenly turned his head and looked at the young man in white.

  "It's rare for our school to encounter such a good seedling, and we certainly won't let it slip away. We'll teach him well, and maybe he'll achieve great things in the future. I think even if I weren't here, the school wouldn't miss out on him - after all, such talent is rarely seen." Gong Yang said with some approval, looking favorably upon young Li Tu.

  "What you said is also true, although he has lost his sight in both eyes, he is still a good seedling. With careful guidance, he may achieve something in the future. However, over the years, he has been ridiculed and insulted by many people for his blindness, which may have caused some undesirable changes in his temperament. In this regard, we must provide correct guidance to prevent him from going astray, lest he harm others or himself in the future."

  The ram nodded, and it was undeniable that no matter who it was, after suffering from the indifference and cold eyes of the world for many years, one's temperament would slowly change in a bad direction.

  He entered the university conditionally.

  "What conditions?"

  "Within a year, become a fifth-grade Guqin player, or pass the examination of each subject like other students, otherwise you can only be an auditor."

  "Director, isn't this time a bit tight? One year's time is probably not enough."

  "A year's time is enough."

  The Koto Master fell silent, time was a bit tight, becoming a 5th rank Koto master within a year is extremely difficult. The koto is easy to learn but hard to remember, easy to learn but hard to master, the higher one's skill level, the harder it is to improve their technique, sometimes requiring years of practice and contemplation to make progress, even for those with exceptional talent, it's not something that can be rushed.

  Moreover, Li Tu has just broken through to the sixth rank and needs to spend a lot of time honing his piano skills and solidifying his musical art. In addition, he also needs to spend a lot of time learning new knowledge, so time seems to be somewhat pressing and insufficient.

  As for passing all subjects in the school exam like other students, it is clearly a difficult task. A blind student can achieve such an achievement in piano art, which is already very good.

  The two paths given by the Academy also have only one possible path within a year to become a fifth-grade piano master.

  Kong Yang remained silent, thinking carefully in his heart. Finally, he nodded and said, "Alright, within a year, becoming a fifth-grade qin master, I think he won't disappoint anyone."

  The old man nodded and continued, "Little sheep, I know you have a crush on the zither, but you can't waste too much time on it. You need to put more thought into your cultivation. Entering the Imperial Academy isn't that easy. Besides, when it comes to cultivation, the zither is just a minor path and can't be compared. If you had used all the time you spent on zither skills on cultivation instead, you would have probably entered the Imperial Academy long ago. What a waste!"

  "The art of music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Music is about being open-minded and composed, chess is about strategic thinking and wisdom, calligraphy is about expressing emotions and nature, and painting is about goodness and beauty. It's not just about cultivating one's mind and character, but also a way of self-cultivation." Gong Yang said with a faint smile, speaking calmly.

  "The threshold of the Imperial Academy is high, but it's not as difficult to climb as the sky. Every year, aren't there one or two people who can step over this threshold? If not this year, then next year, or the year after that. Besides, I'm still six years away from being thirty, which means I have six more chances."

  "When my qin skills become those of a national scholar, it is also when I have crossed this threshold."

  "Since you have such thoughts, I won't say more. Just hope you can enter the Imperial Academy soon and don't worry too much about the affairs of the academy. Spend more time on your cultivation and remember thoroughly." The old man nodded and reminded him for the last time.

  "Dean, rest assured that I have never relaxed my cultivation. Entering the Imperial Academy is the goal of my public life. Moreover, there are extraordinary talents there, and I also want to see them for myself, sit together and discuss our skills, and compare who's higher or lower."

  The goat-like man revealed a look of yearning on his face, and then said seriously: "Principal, you say that among the students of this generation, how many can open up the Confucian chest and cultivate the vast and harmonious energy?"

  "What do you think?"

  The goat shook its head.

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